


Parchment and Perfume

by hypnotictacos



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, F/M, Hogwarts Sixth Year, M/M, slight dramione friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26590216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypnotictacos/pseuds/hypnotictacos
Summary: 6th year au: Hermione brews some Amortentia and wears it as perfume to get back at Ron for the Lavender Brown business. When Draco tells her she smells like Harry, Hermione decides that a little blackmail never hurt anyone.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 91
Kudos: 382
Collections: Harry Potter





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is based off of this prompt: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/32299322316653654/
> 
> this is all just for humor purposes, so i come you can get a laugh out while reading this. this is part 1 of the two-shot

Hermione was … frustrated. With Ron. In her defense, was it actually necessary for him to play around with Lavender as if Hermione didn’t even exist? However, she wasn’t about to take this lying down. No, she was Hermione Jean Granger and she would never,  _ ever _ let anyone call her a pushover.

It was for this reason that Hermione decided to brew Amortentia. No, she wasn’t going to use it on Ron.  _ I mean, really, even I’m not that desperate. _ Instead, she was going to wear it like perfume. If Amortentia smells like what attracts a person the most, then her wearing it would  _ have  _ to draw Ron’s attention.

However, Hermione didn’t prepare herself for a situation where she couldn’t find Ron.  _ I mean, I know I’ve been avoiding him recently, but I didn’t realize he would be this hard to find! Don’t tell me he’s also avoiding me. _ Unfortunately, this meant that Hermione had to wear the Amortentia again the next day, and again, and again, and again. Soon, Hermione became quite popular. People would come up to her and ask her what perfume she was wearing, or pause while walking past her and compliment her on her new perfume. Hermione couldn’t help but frown in frustration. If all these people were noticing her, why couldn’t Ron?

* * *

Draco was barely pushing through. With his normal school work and his assignment from the Dark Lord, he was starting to really feel overworked. Which is why he was late to the news of Granger’s new perfume.

“What are you talking about?” he asked Blaise, who had mentioned Granger in his conversation with Theo.

Blaise turned to him in surprise. “You haven’t heard? Apparently Granger got some new perfume that smells really good. Everyone has been talking about it, and me and Theo have been trying to figure it out. Apparently it smells different to everyone.”

Draco raised his eyebrows. “Really? What could be so special about this perfume?” Blaise and Theo shrugged. “Well, I suppose I’ll go and see for myself.” Draco strode up to the bushy-haired girl, who froze when he appeared next to her. 

“What do you want, Malfoy?” she snapped at him. “If you’re looking for Harry, he isn’t here.”

Draco’s heart stopped for a second when she mentioned Potter, before restarting again after she finished her sentence. He smirked at her. “Just wanted to see what the big deal was. As a Malfoy, I know every brand of perfume there is. This so-called ‘mystery’ will be over now.”

Granger merely raised an eyebrow and presented her left arm to him. “Really? Then tell me, Malfoy, what perfume am I wearing?”

Draco sniffed her arm delicately before pulling away. He purposefully wrinkled his nose. “Been spending too much time with Potter, Granger? I can’t even smell the perfume over the stench of him.”

Granger’s eyebrows shot up and she gasped at him. “You smell Harry?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “That’s what I said, Granger. Aren’t you supposed to be the brightest witch of our age?”

Draco watched as Granger’s face went from shocked, to confused, to excited, and then as it became passive. “I see,” she said. “Well, Malfoy, I suppose that’s your own problem if you can only smell Harry. I’ll be on my way now.” She hurried away and Draco watched as she quickly glanced back at him before turning down the hall and out of sight. 

Draco headed back to Theo and Blaise, who looked at him expectantly. Draco just shrugged and said, “It was nothing anyone would brag about.” Then he turned and walked away, leaving Blaise and Theo looking disappointed.

* * *

Hermione was grinning as she entered the Gryffindor Common Room. “What’s going on, Hermione?” Harry asked, coming up to her. “You’re grinning like a mad woman.”

Hermione turned and smiled at Harry. “Oh, nothing,” she replied. “Just a new piece of information I managed to acquire.”

Harry chuckled. “I should have known. Well, I’ll leave you to enjoy your information. I think Quidditch practice starts soon anyway.”

Hermione nodded before heading up to the girls’ dormitory. She quickly pulled out a quill and paper before starting to write. She had almost blurted out right then and there that she was wearing Amortentia, but she decided against it. That would be unnecessarily cruel to Malfoy. And with this letter, she would have something to use against Malfoy if she ever needed it. She smiled at her handiwork. The letter was short and simple, but it clearly got the message across.

She got up and headed back down to the Common Room, where she had the unfortunate experience of seeing Ron. She froze at the bottom of the stairs and didn’t move as she saw Lavender cuddle up to Ron and give him the stupidest, most disgusting smile ever. Ron smiled back and they promptly started to kiss. Hermione shook her head and walked away in disgust. Once she got out of the Gryffindor Common Room, she immediately headed toward the owlery. She had a letter to send.

* * *

Draco felt like death itself. He had barely been sleeping, and this morning he had considered if it was even worth it to wake up for breakfast. However, his empty hole of a stomach won out and Draco had dragged himself out of bed.

“You alright there?” Blaise asked, leaning over the table to look at Draco more closely. “You look like someone pissed in your hair.”

Theo glanced over and examined Draco. “Hmm, you’re right Blaise. I can’t remember a time when Draco didn’t have immaculate hair, yet here we are. What’s gotten into you today?”

Draco glared at both of them. “I’m just tired. And it’s honestly none of your business.” Blaise and Theo shrugged before going back to their breakfast, leaving Draco to loathe his existence in peace. That is, until the ugliest owl he had ever seen dropped a letter in front of him.

Draco growled quietly before grabbing the letter and ripping it open.

_ Malfoy, _

_ What I’ve been wearing for this past week is Amortentia. After our encounter in the hall yesterday, I now know that it smells like Harry to you. If you need proof of it's authenticity, meet me in the Transfiguration classroom on the third floor at 7 tonight. _

_ \- Hermione Granger _

And just like that, Draco started to loathe his existence even more.

* * *

Draco strode into the Transfiguration classroom with a calm mask on his face. While, yes, he may have had a mental breakdown in the Room of Requirement just an hour ago, there was no way he was letting Granger know that.

Granger was already sitting in the classroom and stood up when he came in. “Hello,” she greeted. “The potion is over here.”

She walked over to a cupboard and muttered something under her breath before revealing the potion. Draco walked over and examined it. It definitely  _ looked  _ like Amortentia. He sniffed it once, then twice.  _ Ugh, it smells like Potter. _ He felt his heart drop. This was real. “Well?” Granger asked. “Anything you’d like to say?”

Draco turned and narrowed his eyes at her. “Yeah. Why are you brewing Amortentia in this school. You do realize it’s against school policies, don’t you? I never took you for a rule-breaker, Granger.”

Granger looked like she was about to laugh. “Does it matter why I brewed it? I mean, honestly everyone does some things that no one else understands. I mean, if Ron can go around snogging Lavender Brown all the time, I think I’m allowed to want to smell nice.”

Draco raised his eyebrows and smirked. “Weasley? Ah, now I understand. Of fucking course. Well, Granger, it seems we are at an impasse. You could reveal to the entire school that some misguided part of my brain is attracted to Potter, but if you do so I will reveal that your special little ‘perfume’ was actually just you trying to get into Weasley’s pants.”

Granger’s eyes widened. “That’s not-- I wasn’t--Ugh, Malfoy!”

He continued to smirk at her. “Whatever shall we do?”

Granger huffed. “Fine. Let’s drop the blackmail. Especially if you’re going to put it that way when you reveal it.”

Draco laughed. “You’re too easy to manipulate. Although, I’ll be honest, it’s a wonder Weasley hasn’t figured it out yet, although he was never the brightest.”

“What do you mean?” Granger asked, her brows furrowed.

Draco rolled his eyes. “It’s obvious he’s only latching onto Brown because she was the first girl to bat her eyelashes at him. He just hasn’t realized that you would prostrate at his feet if he asked.”

Granger’s eyes widened. “I would not!” Draco just chuckled and pointed to the Amortentia with a raised eyebrow. “Fine,” she huffed. “Well, it’s the same for Harry, I suppose.”

Draco actually laughed. He hadn’t laughed all year, and this was the situation that brought it out of him? “Really? You think I would prostrate at his feet? You must be joking. Malfoys don’t prostrate.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Granger replied. “I meant, Harry is stupid and oblivious when it comes to these things to. He still hasn’t realized that he may be interested in guys, and I’m starting to wonder if I should give him a little push in the right direction.”

“Potter interested in guys? What gave you that idea?”

Granger rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious really. He spends hours every day watching you and wondering about what you’re doing,” She smirked at him. “Maybe he’ll be the one prostrating.”

Draco smirked. “That’s a sight I’d like to see.” 

Granger laughed and shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re being civil with each other right now.” Draco tilted his head, but didn’t say anything. “You know, I’ve never told anyone about my … crush on Ron. You’re the first person I’ve actually admitted it to.”

“Trust me, the whole school already knows anyway,” Draco replied.

“Hmm, well does the whole school know about  _ your _ crush?” she rebutted. Draco narrowed his eyes and she quickly continued, “I’m not trying to blackmail you again, don’t worry. I’m just saying … I have no one to talk to about this. Harry is too busy worrying about Voldemort and Death Eaters, Ron is too busy with … well, you know, and there’s really no one else I would talk to about these things.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Are you implying what I think you’re implying?” Granger shrugged. “Well, Granger,” Draco said with a slowly spreading smirk, “if you’d really like to have a heart to heart with me you should just say so.”

“Not a heart to heart,” she snapped. “Just … maybe we could be pen pals. Or something.”

Draco paused. “Pen pals?” With all of his assignments and stress, Draco supposed it wouldn’t hurt to have someone to confide in… “Alright, Granger. Pen pals it is.”


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part 2, enjoy!

_ Malfoy, _

_ Today I had the misfortune of walking in on Ron and Lavender in an intimate situation. This has actually happened on numerous occasions before, but I just felt like you would really appreciate the image this plants in your mind. In case you were wondering, Ron was very much naked. As was Lavender. _

_ \- Hermione Granger _

* * *

_ Granger, _

_ I never needed that image in my mind. I have half a mind to hit my head on a rock just to get amnesia, but my memories are far too important for that. Please never tell me about these instances again. _

_ \- Draco Malfoy _

* * *

_ Malfoy, _

_ I thought you would appreciate it. My apologies. On another note, have you noticed how Harry keeps staring at you during breakfast? I’d say he looks a little worried about you. _

_ \- Hermione Granger _

* * *

_ Granger, _

_ No I have not noticed. Thank you so very much for telling me. I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. Gosh, do you think he’ll ever love me back? _

_ \- Draco Malfoy _

* * *

_ Malfoy, _

_ No need to be sarcastic. I’m just commenting. This is supposed to be a two-way arrangement, you know. _

_ \- Hermione Granger _

* * *

_ Granger, _

_ I’m aware of the circumstances of this arrangement. If you must hear something from me, Potter has been looking very messy recently. Tell him that Sleakezy’s is a product that exists and he should invest in it. If it helps to convince him, his grandfather is the one who invented it. _

_ \- Draco Malfoy _

* * *

_ Malfoy, _

_ I’m not going to tell him that! I happen to think that his messy hair is part of his charm. It makes him look approachable rather than stuck up like you. Just for that, I’m going to tell you that Ron has a mole on his hip bone just low enough that you wouldn’t be able to see it unless he were naked. You’re welcome. _

_ \- Hermione Granger _

* * *

_ Granger, _

_ Fine, I take it back. Potter’s hair is very charming, as are his green eyes. They just pierce the soul, don’t they? If you were watching closely, you could catch me staring at him during Potions. _

* * *

_ Draco, _

_ Fine, be that way. _

* * *

_ Granger, _

_ I will, thank you. I’m intoxicated, I’ll have you know. You can’t tell me how to love, Granger. _

* * *

_ Draco, _

_ Haha, very funny. Just thought you should know, Harry said that you looked like you weren’t sleeping very well at breakfast today. Anything you’d like to tell me? _

* * *

_ Hermione, _

_ Potter noticed? How sweet of him. No, there’s nothing I’d like to tell you. Your concern is oh so touching, though. _

* * *

_ Shut up, Draco. _


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so I know I said this was a two-shot, but here's a 3rd chapter. apparently people actually liked the story so I figured why not continue it?

“Malfoy is looking really beat up lately, don’t you think?” Harry asked Hermione on their way to Potions class.

“You already mentioned this, Harry,” Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes. She glanced to the students waiting outside of the Potions classroom and smirked. ‘You know, if you’re so worried, we should just ask him.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “No, Hermione--”

“Draco!” Hermione called. “A word, if you please.” Harry groaned beside Hermione as Draco walked over to them, looking confused.

“What do you want?” he asked, only glancing at Harry for a second before fixating his eyes on Hermione.

“Oh, it’s not me who wants anything,” Hermione replied innocently. “It’s Harry.” She grabbed Harry’s arm and dragged him forward. “Well, Harry?” she prompted.

“Er, I--” Harry’s face was completely red. “It’s nothing,” he mumbled, glaring at Hermione who just shrugged and motioned for him to continue. “Ugh, fine. You sleeping alright, Malfoy?”

Draco stared blankly at Harry before glaring at Hermione. “You put him up to this didn’t you, Hermione? Why can’t you mind your own business?”

“Oh, please,” Hermione said. “This  _ is _ my business.”

Draco continued to glare. “Oh, really? We’ll see about that,” he retorted. He glanced back at Harry for a second before turning and walking into the classroom without a word.

Harry turned to Hermione with a bewildered look. “The hell was that? Since when are you and Malfoy so casual with each other?”

Hermione shrugged. “We’ve known each other since we were eleven, Harry. I suppose it happened sometime between then and now.” 

Harry sent her a suspicious look. “Right. Sure. Whatever you say.”

* * *

_ Hermione, _

_ Kindly refrain from ever starting a conversation with me in public ever again. I may find Potter attractive, but I am not aiming to take him out. _

* * *

_ Ha, that’s not what your last letter said. I have a feeling you were slightly drunk when you wrote that. After all, you’ve never before mentioned Harry’s “emerald green eyes” and “after-sex hair” and how the way he glares at you turns you on. Shall I go on? _

* * *

_ I swear to Merlin, you are the most obnoxious person I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. You can’t fault a man for his drunk words. _

* * *

_ You know what they say, Draco: Drunk words are sober thoughts. I never took you as the lovesick type, but you’ve proven me wrong once again. _

* * *

_ Fine. Fine! Yes, he’s attractive and yes, I wouldn't be complaining if we had a more … acceptable relationship than we do right now. Are we done now? _

* * *

_ Oh, Draco. Your poor, poor heart. Maybe I can put in a good word for you with Harry. Would that make you feel better? _

* * *

_ Don’t you fucking dare. I will actually curse you out. _

* * *

Hermione was firmly glaring ahead on her, purposefully not looking at the disgusting image that was Ron and Lavender. Somehow she had ended up walking with the two of them to class, and she was hating herself for it.

“Oh, Weasley,” a voice drawled behind the three of them, causing them all to turn around and see Draco standing there. “Not a second goes by that I don’t wonder how you ever ended up with Brown when an infinitely better option was always within reach for you.”

“The fuck do you want?” Ron asked angrily.

Draco turned his gray eyes towards Hermione. “It’s not what  _ I  _ want, Weasel.” Then he walked away.

Ron turned to Hermione and asked, “What the hell was that all about?”

Hermione shrugged, glaring after the figure of Draco. Later, she wrote to him,

_ What was that all about? I thought you said we weren’t going to approach each other in public! _

Draco, the absolute wanker, responded,

_ Don’t be dumb, Hermione. That was revenge. _


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part 4. there's some actual plot in this one, so let me know how it turns out

Draco slumped against the wall of the Room of Requirement and sighed. He had been trying for weeks to fix the Vanishing Cabinet to no avail, and part of him was starting to consider what would happen if he failed. He cast a quick  _ Tempus _ and saw that it was almost time for dinner so he quickly grabbed his things and headed out. 

It was just his luck that he managed to run into Potter and Friends on his way to the Great Hall. Potter glanced at Draco, letting his gaze travel over him before his brow furrowed and he turned away. Draco grumbled under his breath as he walked past the trio. Of course, Hermione had told him that Harry had been noticing Draco’s less than perfect state these days. Sometimes Potter was too sharp for his own good. 

Draco settled himself between Crabbe and Goyle, across from Theo and Blaise. As he picked up a singular sausage to nibble at, Pansy slid in between Blaise and Theo and fixed Draco with a sharp glare. “I know you have some … extracurricular assignments that you have to take care of these days, but you need to try a bit harder to fix your appearance,” she snapped. “Would you believe me if I told you that  _ Professor McGonagall _ asked me about you?”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “No, I would not.”

“Well she did,” Pansy replied with a strengthened glare. “Pull yourself together before you make an entirely new mess for yourself.” 

“Don’t you think I would if I could?” Draco snapped. “I’m more worried about upsetting the  _ Dark Lord _ than I am about upsetting some teacher.” He stood up abruptly and stalked out of the Great Hall. He noticed the Great Gryffindor Trio still outside and nearly screamed in frustration at Weasley, who was draped over Hermione’s shoulder asking her to help him cheat on his homework. Draco narrowed his eyes at the sight and quickly walked away before he had the chance to make a scene.

* * *

_ I saw a most unseemly sight today. It was a Weasel trying to take advantage of a poor girl. Of course, I’m sure the girl would never let someone take advantage of them, right? _

* * *

_ That’s really none of your business, Draco. Ron is my friend, therefore I’m obligated to help him. While I may not approve of his recent activities, I don’t want to ruin our friendship. _

* * *

_ Does your “friendship” rely solely on him using you for schoolwork? That’s hardly a good relationship. _

* * *

_ I don’t need you of all people lecturing me on what is and what isn’t a good relationship. I think I’m smart enough to handle my own relationships myself. _

* * *

_ Of course you’re smart enough. Which is exactly why I’m wondering when you’re going to stop letting Weasley walk all over you. _

* * *

_ Gee thanks, Therapist Draco. Maybe I’ll get around to that when you get around to sleeping. _

* * *

_ … That was a low blow, Hermione. And when I was just trying to help you. _

* * *

Hermione sat next to Harry in the Common Room, sighing as she watched him staring at the Marauder's Map. 

She jumped as his head snapped up and he fixed his emerald-green eyes (yes, Draco has been getting to her) on Hermione. “Hermione,” he started, “even I'm getting tired of this.”

“Of what?”

Harry motioned to Ron and Lavender, who were sitting together on the loveseat. “That. I know it’s been bothering you, but when are you going to do something about it?”

Hermione sighed. “I tried doing something once, but it didn’t really work out.”

Harry’s brow furrowed. “Was that when you spent like a week smelling like some strange mix between Ginny and Malfoy? I really don’t think that’s the best way to go about this.”

“I spent a week smelling like what?” Hermione almost smirked. She had known that Harry had been interested in Ginny, but she hadn’t expected the latter. 

“Exactly,” Harry replied. “You know, I always thought that Ron was interested in you.”

Hermione sighed. “If he was then why did he go with Lavender?”

Harry shrugged. “Sometimes Ron does stupid things.” He watched Hermione’s face for a few seconds before lowering his head back to the map, leaving Hermione to marvel at the fact that both Harry and Draco had essentially given her the same advice.


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kind of short, but i think some of you will enjoy it

Draco felt a tapping on his shoulder and his head snapped up so fast, he got whiplash. He winced and rubbed his neck, turning to glare at whoever had woken him up, only to freeze at the sight of Potter before him.

Potter raised an eyebrow as he lowered himself into the seat across from Draco. “Sleeping in the library, Malfoy? Don’t you have a bed?”

“None of your business, Potter,” he shot back. “I’m a Malfoy, I can do whatever I want.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” Potter replied with a snort.

Draco eyed him suspiciously. “What are you doing here, Potter?”

“It’s a library,” he replied, looking at Draco as though that were obvious. “What do you think I’m doing here?”

“I couldn’t say. You and the Weasel seem to make it a habit to avoid the library. So I’m asking you,  _ what are you doing here? _ ”

Potter sighed. “I’m waiting for Hermione. I told her I would meet her here.” Draco raised an eyebrow. “It’s true,” he said defensively. “I just saw you and thought I’d bother you while I waited. Libraries are boring anyway.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “Do what you want, Potter.”

* * *

_ Was Potter supposed to meet you in the library today? He sat down at my table and never left, so you either stood him up or he was lying. _

* * *

_ Harry? I barely saw him all day, actually. Was he in the library with you the whole time? _

* * *

_ Of fucking course. He won’t leave me alone. I’ve noticed him staring at me constantly throughout the day, and I don’t know how he always seems to know where I am. _

* * *

_ Oh. Harry’s just been worried about how tired you look. He thinks you’re up to something, but I think he also wants you to sleep. _

* * *

_ If he wanted me to sleep, then why did he wake me up in the library? And what does my sleep schedule have to do with him? _

* * *

_ I’ll be honest with you, Draco, You look like death. Anyone would be concerned. _

* * *

_ Really? You don’t seem all that concerned. _

* * *

_ I’m respecting your privacy, Draco. However, if you want to talk about what’s been bothering you, I’m willing to listen. _

* * *

_ No. _

* * *

_ That’s what I thought. As for Harry, I think he would lay off a bit if you just didn’t show up to classes with giant dark circles under your eyes. Or ruffled hair. Or ruffled clothes. Or the look of a person who is two seconds away from throwing themself out the window just to get a second of sleep. _

* * *

_ You are absolutely no help. _

* * *

_ Well, you can’t say I didn’t try. Don’t complain to me if Harry starts to take things into his own hands. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did, considering how many questions he’s been asking me about how to help people with insomnia. _

* * *

_ Oh Merlin, I hope not. _


	6. Part 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't even know how this chapter came about, but here you go

_ Do you ever think about how well Ron’s hair goes with his eyes? The contrast is amazing. _

* * *

_ Hermione, are you drunk? I’d rather think about Dumbledore’s ass then the Weasel. _

* * *

Hermione giggled at Draco’s letter, causing Ron to look over and ask, “Who is that letter from?”

Hermione quickly folded the letter. “That’s none of your business,  _ Ron _ .” At his look, she said, “It’s just a friend.”

“None of my business?” Ron’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s just a friend, then why can’t you tell me who it is?”

“Because it’s a  _ private _ letter, Ron,” Hermione replied with a playful shove. Ron furrowed his brows. “Why do you care so much?”

“I just feel like you’re hiding something,” he replied. “We’ve barely spoken recently.”

“That’s not my fault,” Hermione replied dazedly. “If you wanted to spend more time with me, then you should have seeked me out. I’m not going to go looking for you when I’m most likely going to find you with Lavender.”

“Yeah, well Lavender can be a bit clingy sometimes,” Ron said. “She’s not here now, though, so why won’t you talk to me?”

“Because you’re asking about my private life, you silly boy!” Hermione replied. “I don’t ask you about the letters you receive.”

Ron hesitated a moment before saying, “It’s just that you’ve been getting so many letters recently.”

“Yes, well I have someone to write to,” Hermione said. “The more you pry, the less I’m going to want to tell you, Ron.”

Ron slumped and mumbled, “Okay, ‘Mione.” Hermione giggled at the nickname and went back to her breakfast, not noticing the strange look Ron was giving her.

* * *

_ Is it just me or is Ron really tall? I like tall guys. _

* * *

_ What is with you, Hermione? Did someone drug you? _

* * *

_ Nooooooooo _

* * *

_ Ok. Where are you? _

* * *

_ Hehe. Come and find meee _

* * *

Draco has been trudging around Hogwarts all day searching for Hermione. She hadn’t shown up to any classes, and Draco had forgone his assignment to find her. He was searching on the seventh floor when he ended up passing by the Room of Requirement.

He narrowed his eyes.  _ I want to find Hermione. _ He repeated this to himself as he walked by the room three times. A door appeared. Draco slammed the door open unceremoniously and found Hermione passed out in the room. “What the hell?” he muttered to himself. Draco pushed his way into the room and gently tapped Hermione’s face. Nothing happened. He slowly increased his force until he was all out slapping her. “Damnit Hermione!” Draco started to pick her body up with the intention of taking her to the Hospital Wing.

“What the hell are you doing?” Draco froze and slowly turned his head to find Weasel standing outside the door.

“What does it look like I’m doing, Weasel?” Draco said, making sure to add a drawl into his words. “I found Her--Granger passed out in here and I’m moving her. Should I have just left her here?”

Weasley glared at him. “Why should I believe that? How do I know that you’re not the reason she was passed out here? I couldn’t find her all day!”

Draco rolled his eyes. “As if I would waste my effort on  _ her _ . But by all means, take her. It saves me the time.”

“I will,” Weasley snapped, hurrying over and grabbing Hermione. “How did you even get in here?”

“There was a door, Weasel,” Draco said condescendingly as he strode out into the hallway.

“But the door doesn’t—” Weasley cut himself off. “Never mind.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Right. Next time, keep a better eye on Granger so this situation doesn’t happen again.” Weasley simply glared at him, so Draco shrugged and strode away. Later, he wrote to Hermione,

_ Are you ok? I found you passed out in the Room of Requirement. _

* * *

_ Oh, yeah… the Weasley twins sent me a drink the other day and they said it was from Ron. I was tired, so I didn’t think before I drank it. _

* * *

_ They drugged you? They don’t seem like the type. _

* * *

_ It was an accident. They were testing out a new product. It was my fault for drinking it. _

* * *

_ … I will never understand Gryffindors. _


	7. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part 7. it's just some lighthearted conversation, so enjoy!
> 
> (by the way, if anyone has any requests for what i should do next, feel free to put it in the comments because i'm kinda blanking on how to proceed with this story)

_ What are contact lenses? _

* * *

_ They are something that muggles use if they have bad eyesight or if they want to appear to have a different eye color. They're pretty much a thin, round lens and they stick to the eye using tears. Most long-lasting contacts are made out of silicone hydrogel (it helps with not drying out the eye and keeping oxygen flowing), but I think there are some that are made from different materials. Why do you ask? _

* * *

_ No reason. I didn’t expect a whole lecture from you, though. Maybe I should have, seeing your track record. _

* * *

_ Seriously, Draco. Why do you want to know about this? _

* * *

_ I just heard someone make a comment. I got curious, that’s all. _

* * *

_ About a muggle product? You’ll have to do better than that. _

* * *

_ Fuck you. I heard Potter joking with Weasley about how the Dark Lord’s eyes looked red now, but apparently they used to look blue. Potter mentioned contacts, and I was just curious. I figured you would know anyway, seeing as you’re muggleborn. _

* * *

_ Ah, I see. Good job not calling me a Mudblood, Draco. I’m so proud of you. Like a mother watching her kid mature. _

* * *

_ As if. You could never match the levels of grace and sophistication that my mother possesses. _

* * *

_ I’ve seen your mother, and I may actually have to agree with you on that. She moves like an otherworldly being. And she’s quite beautiful. _

* * *

_ Switching crushes, Hermione? _

* * *

_ Funny. Even if I were getting over Ron, Narcissa Malfoy is far too old for me. Besides, if I truly got involved with her, I may end up being stuck with you forever, and that would be true torture. But don’t worry, I’m still after Ron. I’m assuming you’re still after Harry? _

* * *

_ If I wasn’t do you really think I would put up with his stalker tendencies? You should tell him to lay off if he doesn’t want to get caught by someone other than me. _

* * *

_ I’ve tried. He doesn’t listen. _

* * *

_ That’s because he has only one brain cell and it’s the size of my pinky toe. It’s a wonder how he started passing Potions this year. Don’t tell me you’re letting him cheat off of you? _

* * *

_ I’m not. I guess Harry has just been studying more. Or something like that. _

* * *

_ Studying what? There are no books that could accelerate him that fast. _

* * *

_ I don’t know, Draco, I guess he found something that helped him. What am I supposed to tell you? _

* * *

_ Fine. Just know, I don’t believe that Potter’s brain just started working all of a sudden. _

* * *

_ I never expected you to. _


	8. Part 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part 8, enjoy!
> 
> (i may start taking longer to publish each chapter because school is a lil bitch, but hopefully i'll be able to keep it at least somewhat consistent.)
> 
> (also, i'm not sure if there are any kpop stans here, but did anyone listen to bp's comeback?)

“Hermione, can we talk?” Ron asked, sliding into the seat next to Hermione.

She looked up in surprise. “Wow, Ron. Welcome to the library. It must be a strange feeling for you to be in here.”

Ron furrowed his brows. “What? That’s not--”

“I’m  _ joking _ , Ron,” Hermione said. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Oh.” A pause. “Can I just say it?” Hermione nodded. “Okay. This is going to sound weird, but is there something going on with you and Malfoy?”

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up. “Why do you ask?”

“Can you please just answer the question? I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days, and it just doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t make sense?” Hermione asked.

“Why was he helping you?” Ron said. “He could have just left you there, and it wouldn’t have been his problem. And, why was he even at the Room of Requirement?”

“What are you talking about, Ron?”

“That night when you passed out because of one of Fred and George’s products,” he clarified.

“Oh,” Hermione said. “Ron, you know I can’t remember much of that day. Can you at least tell me what you’re talking about right now?”

“Fine. Malfoy was actually the one who found you.”

“Oh, well he could have just been passing by and saw me,” Hermione said. “Maybe he was just taking me out of the room so he could use it?”

“That doesn’t make sense, though!” Ron shouted. Hermione shushed him with a glare. “Sorry. But you  _ know _ that the room doesn’t show itself if someone is in there unless someone is looking for that person. How was Malfoy able to find the room while you were in it?”

Hermione sighed. “Maybe I left the door open on my way in. You know I wasn’t in my right mind. Does it really matter?”

“Yes! The fact that you aren’t more concerned about this is exactly why I came to talk to you today! Is there something going on between you two?” When Hermione remained silent, he continued, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Hermione scoffed at that. “Can I, really? What if I was shagging Draco Malfoy? Then what would you do?”

Ron gaped. “You-- but you-- Hermione, you can’t!”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “And  _ that _ is why I can’t tell you anything.” She collected her books and stood up. “See you later,” she said, before walking away leaving Ron staring after her.

* * *

_ So. I may or may not have implied to Ron that you and I are shagging. _

* * *

_ I beg your pardon? _

* * *

_ He kept asking questions about what our “relationship” is and I was trying to divert his attention. Just thought I should tell you because Ron can be a bit slow when it comes to sarcasm. _

* * *

_ How lovely. On top of everything else, now there will be rumors about our forbidden romance. _

* * *

_ It could be worse. Star-crossed lovers is a classic trope, after all. _

* * *

_ Please stop before I decide it’s not worth it and obliviate Weasley. _


	9. Part 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's part 9:
> 
> (please leave a comment!)

“I thought you were gay.” 

Draco rubbed his temples and turned to Theo. “Really? In the morning? You can’t even let me eat breakfast first?”

“Have you not heard the rumors?” Theo asked, cocking his head. “You must not have, otherwise I’m sure you would be much more upset about this.”

_ Here we go. _ “What rumors?”

“People are saying that you and the Mudblood are … well, I don’t know,” Theo said. “I’ve heard that you’re shagging, that you’re in love, that you two are engaged, and other entirely impossible things.”

Draco almost choked on his breakfast. “ _ Engaged? _ ”

“That’s what stuck with you?” Theo asked. “Figures. But yes, those are the rumors.”

“Well, you should know not to believe everything you hear,” Draco replied.

Theo studied him. “So you’re definitely gay?”

“I--” Draco actually choked on his breakfast this time.

“I mean, everyone has pretty much acknowledged that you’re gay at this point, but you’ve never confirmed it to anyone,” Theo said. “I figured at this point we’re both mature enough to have this conversation.”

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his unstyled hair. “Theo, I’ve spent the last 5 years-- _ at least _ \--styling my hair every morning, paying attention to clothing brands, perfume brands, even  _ soap _ brands, and you still can’t answer that question for yourself?” Theo shrugged. “Yes, I’m fucking gay.”

“I thought so,” Theo said with a nod. “So that means the rumors are false. That’s kind of strange, though, because the primary source for the rumor was Weasley.”

Draco rolled his eyes.  _ Of course. _ “You must be mistaken.”

“I’m not,” Theo snapped. “I am never mistaken about these things. You may be out of the loop because of your little project, but I most certainly am not.”

“Ok, ok, no need to get upset,” Draco said. “It just doesn’t seem likely.”

“Hmm, well I can see it actually,” Theo said. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but Granger and Weasley seem to be on bad terms lately. Perhaps this is just Weasley being petty?”

“Perhaps.”

* * *

_ Have you heard the rumors? _

* * *

_ Oh god don’t remind me. Yes, I did. Harry was very torn up over it. He kept asking me how I could involve myself with you when you’re obviously planning something for Voldemort. _

* * *

_ Please don’t say or write his name. What are we going to do about this? _

* * *

_ Don’t freak out, but would it be terrible if we just went with it? People would stop questioning things if we did. _

* * *

_ I already told Theo that it’s fake. _

* * *

_ Just tell him that you were lying because I didn’t want people to know but then we talked about it and I decided it was okay? I’m just tired of having to come up with excuses for Harry and Ron. Sometimes they’re too observant. _

* * *

_ Now if only they could use those skills for actual school. Anyway, I’m not sure how I feel about your little idea. Practically all of Slytherins has acknowledged that I’m gay. _

* * *

_ Damnit Draco, you keep ruining my plans. _

* * *

_ You really don’t want to call out the rumors as false? _

* * *

_ I’m not saying we should confirm them… just don’t deny them? People will draw their own conclusions. _

* * *

_ I’m telling you right now, you seriously owe me. _

* * *

_ Is that a yes? _

* * *

_ For Merlin’s sake, yes. I can’t even believe I’m agreeing to this. _

* * *

“Hurry up!” Hermione said. “We’re going to be late for Potions!”

Harry groaned. “I’m coming, ‘Mione. Calm down.” 

As the two of them burst into the Potions classroom, Hermione quickly turned to apologize to Professor Slughorn. The man simply laughed and said, “That’s quite alright. Just don’t make a habit of it, eh?” 

“Of course, sir,” Hermione said.

“Well, we’re going to do partner work today. Your partners from today will be who you work with for the next few classes, so keep that in mind,” Professor Slughorn said with a wink. “Harry, why don’t you go sit next to Mister Nott? Miss Granger, you can sit with…” Slughorn scanned the room. His eyes landed on Draco, and amusement flashed across his face.  _ Does he know about the rumors? _ Hermione wondered. “Your partner can be Mister Malfoy.”

Hermione nodded and went to sit down next to Draco, who merely raised an eyebrow at her. Harry shot her a look before settling down next to Nott. “Today,” Slughorn said, “we are going to practice brewing a potion that I’m sure many of you are familiar with: Amortentia.” Hermione almost groaned and Draco shot Hermione a knowing look. This was going to be  _ so much fun _ .


	10. Part 10

Hermione was completely aware of the awkwardness practically flowing out of Harry, but chose to ignore it. She was also completely aware of Ron staring at her from down the table, but chose to ignore that as well. She determinedly ate her breakfast and pretended there was nothing abnormal whatsoever.

Harry cleared his throat. “Um, ‘Mione?”

Hermione looked up at Harry and raised an eyebrow. “Yes, Harry?”

“Ron has been staring at you for a while now,” Harry said, motioning to where Ron was sitting.

“I’m aware,” Hermione replied simply.

Harry sighed. “Are you two ever going to work this out?”

“Work what out?” Hermione asked. “I have no problem with Ron, he’s the only one being dramatic.”

“You’re dating Malfoy!” Harry said. “Anyone would be dramatic!”

“I’m not  _ dating _ him,” Hermione said.

“So you two are just friends-with-benefits?” Harry shot back. “You’re not the type, Hermione.”

“Don’t be jealous, Harry,” Hermione said, taking a sip of her tea. “That particular shade of green clashes with your eyes.”

Harry’s face scrunched up. “Ugh, you’re even starting to sound like him. I’m  _ not _ jealous. I’m not even into guys!”

“Harry,” Hermione said, turning her full attention towards him. “At best, you’re bisexual. And there’s nothing wrong with that! But you need to realize for yourself what your sexuality is.”

“I already know,” Harry argued. “I’ve always been straight.”

“If you say so,” Hermione said. “But don’t think I don’t remember all the way back in 4th year when you got drunk after Cedric’s death and told me that you secretly thought he was really hot before he had died.”

“I--”

“And how you continued to say that one time he brought up the prefect’s bathroom to you and for a moment you really thought that he was hitting on you and it made you excited.”

“Ok, but--”

“And then you continued to say that while you were upset about not being able to take Cho to the Yule Ball, you were more upset about the fact that she was going with Cedric. And  _ not _ because you were jealous of Cedric.”

Harry stared at her with wide eyes. “I said all that? And you never thought to tell me?”

Hermione shrugged. “I figured that you would eventually bring it up on your own.” Harry groaned. “Hey, I’m not forcing you to admit to anything,” Hermione said. “I’m just mentioning things.”

“Whatever,” Harry said. “I’m just saying, dating Malfoy or shagging him or whatever you’re doing with him is a bad idea.”

“Why?”

“Look, I know it can be easy to be drawn to him,” Harry said, “but you can’t just give in. He’s a Death Eater!”

“Easy to be drawn to him?” Hermione repeated. “However so?”

“Well, obviously he has those stormy gray eyes that just send jolts through you everytime you look at them. Not to mention his sharp jaw. His jaw could literally slice open a can. And I know that his hair always looks super soft and healthy, and it can be hard to resist the urge to mess it up when it's so perfectly styled. And his manners can be really good, when he’s not being an arse to Gryffindors. I’ve seen how he interacts with other people and he can actually be quite charismatic.” Harry paused. “On the train ride to Hogwarts at the beginning of the year I was using the invisibility cloak to listen to a conversation the Slytherins were having, and watching Draco interact with someone other than us was … shocking, I suppose. He actually seemed quite likeable; like someone I would get along with quite well.”

“Is that so?” Hermione asked. Harry nodded. “Hmmm. Interesting how you notice all these things about Draco. To be quite honest, I don’t think even I’ve noticed these things.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “What? It’s not like that, ‘Mione. It’s just because I’ve been following him around so much. It’s hard not to notice these things.”

Hermione shrugged. “If you say so, Harry.”

* * *

_ Draco Malfoy, _

_ has anyone ever told you that you have stormy gray eyes that send a person into shock when they see them? Or that your jaw is so sharp it could cut through metal? Or how about you super soft and healthy hair just waiting to be ruffled? Your charismatic attitude? How endearing you are when you talk to people you’re familiar with? _

* * *

_ The fuck? _

* * *

_ That’s what Harry told me during breakfast today. He has much attention to detail, wouldn’t you say? _

* * *

_ Oh, yeah. So much attention to detail. He should write poetry. Maybe he can charge people for Valentines Day. _

* * *

_ Not a bad idea, actually. But don’t you see what this means? Harry has feelings for you! _

* * *

_ Does he? Or was he just drunk? _

* * *

_ Drunk words are sober thoughts. We’ve gone over this before Draco. Harry won’t stop denying that he’s attracted to men, but I know he is. _

* * *

_ If he were attracted to men why wouldn’t he just say so? _

* * *

_ Sometimes people just don’t realize these things. Or it’s internalized homophobia. _

* * *

_ Fair, I suppose. _

* * *

_ So? Are you ever going to talk to Harry properly? _

* * *

_ Correct me if I’m wrong, but Harry thinks we’re together. Wouldn’t he be upset if he thought I was trying to cheat on you? _

* * *

_ Actually, that gives us the perfect opportunity. I can bring you to Harry and say that I want you two to start getting along or something. Then you two can talk. _

* * *

_ Are you serious right now? He thinks I’m a Death Eater. _

* * *

_ Well, are you? _

* * *

_ No. _

* * *

_ It took you quite some time to respond for such a short letter. Tell me the truth, Draco. _

* * *

_ I can’t. Besides, you already know the truth. Why should I have to say it? _

* * *

_ If you admit it, I can help you. Hiding it just makes you seem more guilty. _

* * *

_ You don’t understand, Hermione. I can not. _

* * *

_ Why not? _

* * *

_ I just can’t. _

* * *

_ But why? _

* * *

_ Draco? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ik i didn't address the amortentia in this chapter, but dw it's going to be in the next one :)


	11. Part 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so ik I said i would do stuff with the amortentia in this chapter but... well this chapter kinda just wrote itself. so, enjoy?

Draco sighed as he made his way up to the seventh floor. He knew Harry was following him, but he was hoping he'd be able to get rid of him before he got to the Room of Requirement. Unfortunately, Draco seemed to be out of luck today. Finally, as he made it to the bottom of the stairway leading to the seventh floor, Draco stopped walking and said, “You know, Harry, instead of following me like some low-life stalker you could show some of that famed Gryffindor courage and come out here.”

Draco turned around and set a hard look on the form of Harry. “You knew I was there?”

Draco scoffed. “How could I not have known? You’ve been following me for months; I would have to be oblivious to not have realized.” Harry slowly started to inch his way closer to Draco. “Care to tell me why I’ve become your new obsession?”

Harry froze and his eyes widened. “Obsession? I’m not obsessed with you!”

“Then why do you spend all your free-time watching me?” Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t,” Harry said.

“Don’t be stupid. I know you do.” Draco paused. “Besides, even if I didn’t,  _ Hermione _ told me.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “When? While you two were working on the Amortentia or … You know what, spare me the details.”

“I was planning to,” Draco replied with a roll of his eyes. “So, do tell if you’re planning on continuing to follow me for the rest of eternity. I have better things to do than babysit you.”

Harry frowned. “Not the rest of eternity, but I think I’ll stick around for today.”

Draco huffed. “Why?”

“Because you’re up to something,” Harry replied. “I don’t know what, but I can tell that it’s messing with you. I want to know what could possibly break through the perfect mask of Draco Malfoy.”

“Why can’t you mind your own damn business?”

“Because it’s making your health suffer!” Harry shot back. “At first, I was only suspicious of you and I wanted to catch you in the act so that you could get either expelled or arrested. That was why I started following you around in the first place. But then, I started to notice the dark circles slowly spreading under your eyes, or the way your perfect hair gradually deteriorated into whatever you like to call the mess it is right now. I’m supposed to be the one with messy hair, not you! And don’t even get me started on the way you never attend all three meals in a day. Sometimes you skip breakfast, sometimes lunch, and sometimes dinner. So, tell me this: how can I possibly ignore the suffering of someone else when it’s being shoved into my face constantly and I know that there has to be something I can do to help?”

“Why don’t you tell me this: what makes you care so much about me after years of loathing my existence?” Draco shot back.

Harry lowered his gaze. “We may have not gotten along very well, Draco, but I never ‘loathed your existence.’”

“Hmm, apparently you liked me so much that you started calling me by my first name,” Draco replied.

“I--” Harry raised his eyebrows. “I suppose I did. But don’t think I didn’t notice that  _ you _ called me by  _ mine _ as well.”

“No, I didn’t,” Draco denied.

“Uh, yeah you did?” Harry said, raising an eyebrow. “What, you didn’t even notice? That just shows that you’re subconsciously calling me by that.”

“No, I--whatever. Anyway, even if I were suffering some horrible fate, what do you think  _ you _ could possibly do about it?” Draco asked, tilting his head slightly. “I mean, you’re not exactly the most capable person. I can honestly take well enough care of myself without your help.”

“That so?” Harry asked. “Then why aren’t you? See, I know that I’m not always capable and that in most situations you would definitely be a better choice if someone were looking for actual help. But the thing is that you  _ aren’t _ taking well enough care of yourself. I know that you can, but you aren’t.”

“So what are you planning to do?” Draco asked. “Force-feed me some food? Knock me out and tie me to a bed so that I’m forced to sleep? Dunk my head in a bottle of Sleakeazy’s to smooth out my hair?”

“Nothing so drastic,” Harry said. “I’m just going to keep following you around so that you won’t be able to do whatever has been keeping you distracted. If you can’t do it, then it can’t keep you distracted.”

Draco made sure to keep his face neutral despite the nervous flutter in his stomach at Harry’s words. “You can’t possibly think that will work. I’ll get more distracted by the fact that I’m not finishing it.”

“How important can one task be?” Harry asked. “Unless … you got it from Volde--”

“Don’t say his name!” Harry froze, his mouth still forming the shape of that man’s name.

“Ok, sorry,” Harry said. “But fear of the name br--”

“Brings fear of the thing itself,” Draco finished. “I’ve heard that one before. It’s too bad that the fear of the thing itself is already deep-rooted in my mind and everyone else’s.”

Harry frowned. “Ok, well why are you so scared of him?” Draco opened his mouth, but Harry spoke again. “Never mind. That’s not important. Listen, all I want is for you to take better care of yourself. And by that, I mean go to sleep. Please.”

“One might almost think you care,” Draco commented, with raised eyebrow.

“One might argue that I actually do,” Harry replied. “And you know what, maybe I do. When we were eleven, you were kind of a brat, but you weren’t a bad person. Maybe a little misguided, but not bad. I only wish hardships on bad people.”

“That’s your hero complex talking,” Draco replied. “No need to waste it on me.”

Harry locked his green eyes onto Draco’s. “It’s not a waste.” Draco’s breath hitched.  _ Fuck, those goddamn eyes. _ “Just promise me you’ll do something to stop looking like such a mess. Eat, sleep, do your skincare routine, I really don’t care. Just do something.”

Draco swallowed. “I--okay.”

Harry smiled. “Good.” He turned around and started walking away, but paused as he reached the staircase. He turned around and called back, “This doesn’t mean I like you now.”

Draco’s finger twitched. “I didn’t think it did.”

* * *

_ Hey. _

* * *

_ Wow, you don’t respond to my last two letters and then you send me a ‘Hey’. What’s going on? _

* * *

_ Nothing just… I’m going to sleep. _

* * *

_ You’re going to sleep? Right now? That’s good, Draco! But why did you feel the need to tell me? _

* * *

_ Tell Harry? _

* * *

_ Ok. _

* * *

_ You’re not going to ask why? _

* * *

_ Draco, you’re going to sleep at a reasonable time. I’m not going to ask why; I’m just going to be happy for you. _

* * *

_ Oh. Ok. _

* * *

_ So, goodnight. _

* * *

_ Goodnight, Hermione. _


	12. Part 12

Draco strode into the Great Hall right on time for breakfast and headed straight to the Slytherin table.

Blaise, Pansy, Theo, and even Greg and Vince looked up at him in surprise. “You look … normal,” Blaise commented. “So normal that it’s almost strange.”

“Your kind words warm my heart,” Draco responded dryly.

“No, seriously,” Pansy said. “You do look normal. I know you went to sleep early last night, but did you not skip your morning routine to work on your project?”

Draco shook his head. “I figured I would do better if I gave myself a short break and looked at it with a fresh mind.”

“Uh-huh,” Theo said. “Total Draco move. Self-care, right?”

Pansy shoved Theo. “Don’t be sarcastic. It’s not attractive.”

“Do I look like I’m trying to be attractive?” Theo asked with a roll of his eyes.

Pansy looked him up and down in distaste. “Clearly not.” She turned back to Draco. “What are you going to tell  _ him _ when you go back home? Winter break is coming soon.”

“I know,” Draco said with a sigh. “I have made some progress, but I don’t know if it’s enough to satisfy him. I’ll figure something out.”

Blaise scoffed. “Well you may want to hurry the hell up.”

* * *

“Hermione.”

Hermione looked up from her seat in the empty hallway and sighed. “Yes, Ron?”

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Ron said.

“Hmm, I wonder why?”

Ron sighed. “Look, I talked to Harry about it and I can see why you would be upset. I shouldn’t have spread rumors about you; it wasn’t very good of me to do.”

“Ron,” Hermione said. “We’ve been friends for years now. Why can’t you have faith in me to not make stupid decisions?”

“I don’t know,” Ron replied sullenly. “I always act out without thinking and then I regret it after.”

“Well, maybe you should work on that,” Hermione replied, turning back to her book.

“‘Mione, I’m sorry,” Ron desperately said, sitting down next to her. “I don’t know why I did what I did.”

“Are you really sorry, though?” Hermione asked. “Or would you get upset with me again for the same reason?”

Ron hesitated. “No. I won’t. I spoke with Harry about this, too, and it’s your choice. It may be a shitty one, but I can’t really judge considering how many shitty choices  _ I’ve _ made.”

“Thank you,” Hermione said, finally closing her book and putting it aside. “And you should know, I’m not shagging Draco.”

Ron gave Hermione a look. “You’re not? Why would you say that you are if you weren’t?”

“You were being a prat,” Hermione answered with a shrug. “I’m not shagging him, but I am on fairly decent terms with him.”

“But you’re not interested in him?”

“Ron, he’s gay,” Hermione replied. “ _ He’s _ not interested in _ me _ .”

“But you’re interested in him?”

“No! I’m just saying that Draco and I aren’t out for each other’s throats anymore,” Hermione said.

“Oh.” Ron scrunched up his eyebrows. “Weird. He doesn’t hate you for being a muggleborn?”

Hermione tipped her head. “Well, I don’t know about his prejudice being completely gone, but I don’t think hate is the right word.”

“Well, as long as he’s not being an arse to you,” Ron said with deep skepticism. “I trust you.”

“Thanks,” Hermione said with a smile.

Ron smiled back. “Winter holidays are coming up. Do you want to visit The Burrow for a few days?”

“Hm, I’ll have to talk to my parents about it but yeah.” Hermione turned her body fully toward Ron. “Is Harry going to come? He usually stays at Hogwarts for holidays.”

Ron nodded. “Yeah, but he has a good reason for it. I talked to him about coming over and he said he would think about it. Not really sure if that’s a positive response or not.”

“Hm,” Hermione said. “I can ask him about it later.”

Ron shrugged. “Ok.” He cast a quick  _ Tempus _ and immediately grimaced. “Uh, I gotta get to class.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Go. The last thing you need is to lose  _ more _ house points by being late.” Ron looked at her apologetically before rushing off. Hermione turned back to her book. She barely read two sentences before someone sat down next to her again. “What do you wa--Draco?”

Draco side-eyed her harshly. “Yes, it’s me. What are you doing sitting on the floor like a simpleton?”

“I like sitting here,” Hermione replied. “Why do you care?”

“I suppose I don’t,” Draco replied, looking at his nails. “I was just passing by and saw you with your nose in a book and figured I may as well save you from your own insufferable nature.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes. “I see a good night's rest brought you right back to your usual self.”

“Yes, I’m feeling quite good today,” Draco replied. “Quick question: have you ever been to Borgan & Burkes?”

“I don’t believe I have,” Hermione answered. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I didn’t expect you to say yes anyway.” Hermione studied his face suspiciously for a few moments before Draco sighed harshly. “I suppose I’ll leave before you completely tire your eyes out from staring at me.” He pushed himself off the wall and glanced at Hermione once more before striding away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao its been a while since ive updated this and tbh i kinda forgot that i had been writing this but here's another chapter :)


	13. Part 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to work on my writing style a bit. I've noticed that I tend to do a lot of dialogue with pretty much no other words and it's kinda weird, ya know? So i'm trying to work on that. Other than that, the chapters won't becoming very frequently (like the were in the beginning) because i'm just losing motivation to do a lot of things but i still want to finish this so i'm not going to abandon it. Anyways enjoy the chapter :)

“I keep telling you I have a plan.”

Theo raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Draco. “Well I hope this plan of your’s accounts for the fact that winter holidays are only a week away.”

“Well…” Draco trailed off, prompting Theo to groan in frustration. Draco rolled his eyes. “Look, I know it’s not ideal. Trust me, no one knows that more than I do. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t fix a normal fucking cupboard in one week let alone that stupid piece of garbage.”

Theo sighed. “So what you’re saying is that you do have a plan but there’s pretty much no point to it because it won’t stop you from literally getting killed by, uh, you know when you arrive home empty-handed.”

Draco glared at Theo. “I don’t recall asking for your input in this situation. Now if you don’t mind I’m going to go work on that cabinet and hopefully get  _ something  _ done by the time I get back home.” Draco stood up and swiftly made his way out of the common room and towards the seventh floor. Theo had been bugging him nonstop about fixing the Vanishing Cabinet for days now and it was starting to wear down on his resolve. If he didn’t manage to get any progress with his project he would definitely suffer for it. Of course, that’s where his plan came in. It was an unconventional one, but it would work if executed properly. Now if only he could get Hermione to work with him without actually giving her any details.

* * *

Professor Slughorn walked around the classroom, carefully examining each pair of students’ Amortentia. As he passed Theo and Harry he raised an unimpressed eyebrow, causing Theo to glare at Harry. Draco smirked at the indignant expressions Harry gave in return.

Professor Slughorn came up to Draco and Hermione’s table and bent over to examine their work. “Nice work, you two,” he said with a smile. “It’s no surprise that the two of you working together would do this well.”

“Thank you Professor,” Hermione said. Professor Slughorn nodded and moved on to the next pair of students.

“You’re welcome,” Draco said.

“Excuse me?”

Draco sighed and turned to Hermione. “Obviously we did this well because you had me working with you. I know how much you love good grades so I’m saving you the trouble of thanking me.”

“Did you forget who you’re talking to?” Hermione asked indignantly. “ _ I’m _ the one who successfully brewed Amortentia before. I could have done just as well without you.”

“Sure.” Draco shrugged. He turned away from Hermione and called out, “Theo, why don’t you and your useless partner come over here and see what a properly brewed Amortentia potion looks like.” Harry swung his head around and glared at Draco while Theo enthusiastically made his way over.

Harry sighed heavily, but begrudgingly made his way over. The two of them bent over the potion and sniffed it. Theo started coughing harshly. “Damn. What the hell am I into?”

“That is a question I would never like to discover the answer to,” Draco replied, scrunching up his nose.

“What about you Harry?” Hermione asked. “What did you smell?”

“Uh, I’m not sure really,” Harry answered awkwardly. 

Draco raised an eyebrow. “It shouldn’t be too hard for you. Whatever you smell would be something that you’re relatively familiar with.”

“Look, you’re the one always telling me I’m dumb anyway,” Harry snapped. “Besides, it’s none of your business.”

Draco raised an eyebrow. “Whatever you say. If you’re not going to share then stop bothering me and Hermione. Go work on your potion so that  _ maybe _ you can finish it before the winter holidays and pass the class.”

“I was just about to leave anyway,” Harry replied stiffly. He turned around and marched back over to where he was sitting with Theo.

“Uh, bye I guess,” Theo said and hurried after Harry.

Hermione turned to Draco and patted his shoulder excitedly. “Did you see how awkward Harry became?”

“Yes, Hermione. It was impossible not to notice.”

“Hm. You don’t seem like you care,” Hermione commented with a raised eyebrow.

Draco rolled his eyes. “Harry is always awkward about something. You always try to make a big deal out of nothing.”

“You’re so boring sometimes,” Hermione grumbled. 

“I thought you hated gossip. You’re always complaining about your dorm-mates,” Draco commented. As he spoke he started to bottle up the Amortentia, prompting Hermione to start cleaning up.

“You’re half right. It’s not that I hate gossip, I just hate Lavender and Parvati’s form of gossip. They’re always swooning over boys and giggling loudly and it’s annoying.”

“Hm. I suppose that makes sense. Let me go put this on Slughorn’s desk.” Hermione nodded and turned back to their shared desk to clean up the last of their materials. As Draco returned he flicked a stray hair out of his face and looked down at Hermione with a blank stare.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “What?”

Draco blinked. “Huh? Nothing.”

“Okay?”

“Sorry. I got distracted,” Draco replied, once again moving hair out of his face.

“Right. Well, I’m going to head out,” Hermione said, standing up and grabbing her stuff. “There’s no reason to stay here now that we’re done with our work. I’ll see you later maybe.”

Draco nodded and watched her as she walked out of the classroom. As soon as she was out the door, he slumped down into his seat.  _ How am I supposed to broach this topic? _ He wondered to himself. He scrunched up his nose as he once again felt a small piece of hair fall into his face, pushing it away in annoyance. Couldn’t at least his own hair cooperate with him? He gave a frustrated sigh and abruptly got up and started getting ready to leave, feeling suffocated by the smell of Amortentia in the room.

Theo noticed this and called out, “Hey, Draco! If you have nothing to do then come over here and help us with our potion.” Draco turned his gaze to the pair of boys and his eyes instantly narrowed at the state of their potion. Of course they had somehow managed to make it worse than before.

He sighed.  _ Those two idiots can’t do anything themselves, can they? _ He put his stuff down and called out, “Coming.”

* * *

_ Have you ever considered going to Knockturn Alley? _

* * *

_ Excuse me? No, I have not. _

* * *

_ You should. There are a lot of informational books that you can find there. Ones that you would never find in Diagon Alley. _

* * *

_ Maybe there’s a reason I wouldn’t find them in Diagon Alley? _

* * *

_ I’m just saying. Not everything is bad there. Besides, there’s a difference between Dark Magic and Black Magic. Just because Knockturn Alley is known for having a lot of Dark Wizards doesn’t mean it’s all bad. _

* * *

_ Black Magic? I’ve never heard of that. _

* * *

_ Figures. Most people aren’t taught the distinction between the two. Light-leaning wizards just group it all into Dark Magic and move on. But you can do better than that. You  _ should  _ do better than that. _

* * *

_ Ok, well now I’m interested. Tell me more. Also, what does light-leaning mean? _

* * *

_ Pretty much people who worship Dumbledore. He runs this school, so unless you don’t come from a light-leaning family there’s no way you would know about Black Magic without going beyond the school curriculum. You’re muggleborn though, so your family has no bias. _

* * *

_ Damnit Draco, you’re making me curious. _

* * *

_ That was the point. I could take you to Knockturn Alley sometime before the holidays. That would give you plenty of time to learn all about this subject. _

* * *

_ Why do you want me to learn about it? You easily could have left me in the dark. _

* * *

_ Because I don’t associate with magic-users who only take their learning to the basic level. If you want to do magic, the least you could do is learn all you can about it. _

* * *

_ Fine. Tell me when, and we can go. Just know that if we get caught, I will 100% tell the teachers that you brainwashed me. _

* * *

_ Fine by me. Either way, we won’t get caught. _

* * *

_ If you say so. We’re not staying there for long though. I’ll get some books and go. _

* * *

_ Sounds fair. How does this Saturday sound? _

* * *

_ Sounds good. See you then. _


	14. Part 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my longest chapter yet (or at least the one with the most words). it's not really saying much considering most of my chapters are pretty short but i'm still proud of it. anyways enjoy <3

Hermione shivered in the cold morning air and glanced around the courtyard for what felt like the 100th time since she’d gotten there, hoping to see Draco. No such luck. She sighed.

Part of Hermione wondered what exactly had prompted Draco to invite her to Knockturn Alley, but that part of her was overpowered by the rest of her which was just wondering what had possessed her to agree to it. She figured it must have had something to do with his strange attitude that day. It wasn’t everyday that she caught Draco staring at her blank-faced, after all.

Hermione shrugged her thoughts away as she saw a familiar head of blond hair coming her way. “Draco,” she called out. “Why are you so late? It’s freezing out here.”

“Sorry,” Draco replied, coming up beside her. “I got held up.” On a normal day Hermione may have accused him of spending too much time on his hair, but today his hair hung flat around his face, completely unstyled. 

She decided not to comment on that. Instead she grumbled, “Whatever. Let’s just go get this over with.”

Draco nodded. “Follow me.”

* * *

“Well, this place is just as gloomy as I thought it would be,” Hermione commented, eyeing the buildings around her. “Does anyone here know the concept of color?”

Draco shot her a look. “Stop being such a critic.” Hermione just shrugged and didn’t respond. Truthfully, she really was a bit disappointed in the lack of color here. She had known that there probably wouldn’t be pink buildings or anything along that scale, but this was just sad.

Every shop they passed was the same: dark brown with maybe a hint of black. Hermione figured she could probably do better in her sleep. She didn’t voice these thoughts out loud, however, as Draco already seemed to be in some kind of mood that day. So far, every comment Hermione had made had ticked him off and it just made her want to stop talking altogether. In fact, Hermione had noticed that the closer they got to winter holidays, the more irate Draco became. She wondered if it had any correlation. Perhaps she would ask him.

She paused in her musings when her face collided with something hard. She pulled back and blinked at the nonmoving form of Draco. “Why did you suddenly stop?” she asked. “The last thing I need right now is a faceful of your cologne.”

“Will you stop complaining?” Draco asked, looking at her through irritated eyes. “I stopped because we arrived at the store. Do you want to go in or not?”

“I wouldn’t come all the way here and then decide to not even go in,” Hermione responded, slightly offended at the notion.

“Good.” Draco pushed the door open and strode in, leaving Hermione to follow. As she did so, she glanced at the name of the store. “ _ Borgin and Burke’s”. Didn’t Draco mention this place a while ago?  _ Hermione frowned at the thought. 

“Are you coming or not?” Draco stood impatiently in the doorway watching Hermione. “We don’t have all day,” he said.

“Oh, sorry,” Hermione said, rushing into the shop. “I got distracted.”

Draco didn’t say anything, instead leading the way further into the shop. He paused and turned his head when a voice called out, “Draco Malfoy!”

Hermione looked to where the voice had come from and saw who she assumed to be the shop owner. “Hello,” Draco greeted politely.

“I didn’t expect to see you here today,” the man said, striding up to the pair. He paused once he noticed Hermione. “Especially not with a friend.”

Draco sighed. “Yes, well I am here now.”

“I can see that,” the man said. “Who’s your friend, though? I don’t recognize her.”

Hermione opened her mouth to introduce herself, but Draco cut her off. “She’s Hermione. I brought her along for your books.”

“Hmm, Hermione eh? I don’t recognize the name.”

“You wouldn’t,” Draco replied casually, causing the man to narrow his eyes.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. Business is business. The books are that way,” he said, pointing with an elongated finger.

“I’m aware,” Draco said. “Let’s go, Hermione.” Hermione nodded and followed Draco past the man, who simply watched the two walk away.

Once they were out of earshot, Hermione whispered, “Who was that?”

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. “Why are you whispering?”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“That was Mr. Burke,” Draco replied, shrugging off her apology. “He runs this shop with Mr. Borgan.”

“Oh,” Hermione said.

“Yeah. He’s quite bigoted though, so don’t start spilling your life story to him.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t planning to. Now, which books should I look at?”

Draco came over to her side and scanned the bookshelf she was looking at. He quickly picked out two books and handed them over to her. “Those books go over the basics. They’ll outline the difference between the two magics and maybe start to go over how to use the magic.” He moved over to the next bookshelf and picked out another book. “This one has spells, if you want to introduce yourself to some.” He continued picking out books and handing them to Hermione with a brief description of their contents until Hermione eventually ended up with 6 different books.

“Don’t you think that’s enough? At least for now, I mean,” Hermione said. Normally, she would never say that she had enough books, but in this situation she wanted to draw a line. After all, she wasn’t so sure how far she wanted to delve into the concept of Dark Magic.

Draco shrugged. “If you think it’s enough then I suppose it is.” He headed away from the bookshelves and towards the counter where Mr. Burke was. As Hermione followed him, she continued to look around the shop. There were many Dark Artifacts surrounding her, some that looked very interesting. She paused when she noticed one that particularly stood out.

“Draco,” she called out. “What’s wrong with this cabinet?”

Draco glanced over and hesitated a moment before saying, “It’s broken.”

“I can see that,” Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. “I mean why? Or actually, why is it still here? What’s the point in keeping a broken cabinet that no one will buy?”

Draco stared at Hermione for a moment. Then he shrugged. “I suppose it must be fixable.”

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. “I mean maybe. It looks pretty broken up, but I think…” she trailed off, her mind scanning all the books she had read in the past few years. Draco watched her carefully, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

Finally, after a full minute of silence, Draco snapped, “You think what?”

Hermione blinked at him. “I’ll tell you later. I want to sort out my thoughts first. Let’s just get back to Hogwarts for now.”

Draco nodded and grabbed the books out of Hermione’s hands. He walked over to Mr. Burke and dumped the pile in front of him. The man raised an eyebrow. “So these are the kinds of books you came here for.” Draco said nothing, causing the man to sigh. “Stoic as ever, I see. Must be a family trait.” Hermione watched as the man looked at each book individually before carefully placing them in a box. After the last book he looked up at Draco again and told him the price.

Mr. Burke turned to Hermione and addressed her for the first time, saying, “Books like these aren’t normally bought. What makes you interested in them?”

Hermione glanced at Draco, who simply looked back at her as if to say,  _ You can speak for yourself. _ She hesitated a moment before saying, “I’m always interested in learning new things.”

Mr. Burke snorted. “Right. Well, enjoy studying I guess. Although this isn’t the typical curriculum for Hogwarts students, it’s refreshing to see someone like you interested in this.” He handed her the box. Draco grabbed it before she had the chance, causing the man to laugh. “What? Don’t trust me with your lady friend?”

“I don’t trust you with anything,” Draco replied. 

Mr. Burke shrugged. “Ok then. Enjoy the books.” He then turned away and headed into the back of the shop.

Draco sighed. “I never really liked that man.”

“I can see that,” Hermione responded. “Now can we get back to Hogwarts? I don’t want to stick around for any longer than I have to.”

“Right. Let’s go.”

* * *

Hermione strode into the Gryffindor Common Room, sighing in content at the instant warmth that surrounded her. It really was very cold that day.

“Hermione!” Hermione turned her gaze to where Ron and Harry were beckoning her over. She smiled and made her way towards them.

“Hey,” she said, sitting down next to Harry. She placed her box on her lap, making sure no one would be able to simply grab it to see its contents (because honestly, someone in the room would).

“Hi,” Harry said, glancing at her box for merely a second before looking back at Hermione. “What have you been up to?”

“I got permission to go out today. I wanted to get some new books,” she replied, pointing to her box.

“Of course,” Ron said with a roll of his eyes. “I don’t even want to know what kind of crazy stuff you’re planning on studying now so don’t try to tell me.”

Hermione smiled. “I wasn’t planning to.”

“Did you go with Draco?” Hermione looked at Harry in surprise. “What?” he asked. “It’s a simple question. I heard that Draco also got permission to leave Hogwarts today so I just thought I’d ask.”

“Oh, well yeah I did,” Hermione answered. She paused for a moment before saying, “You know me and him aren’t dating, right?”

“Huh?” Harry said dumbly.

Hermione sighed. “It was just a stupid rumor. We were never going out or doing whatever it was people thought we were doing. I just thought I should let you know so you don’t think that we were going on a date or something.”

“But why didn’t you tell me earlier? You practically confirmed the rumors!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I don’t really know why I did, but I do know that I shouldn’t have. I think I was just being spiteful towards Ron,” she said, glancing over at said ginger. He merely scrunched his nose up in distaste. Hermione turned back to Harry and said, “Honestly Harry, I’m not even Draco’s type.”

“What? Why?” Harry narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me it’s because you’re muggleborn.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Hermione said. She opened her mouth but then hesitated. Honestly, was it right to just go ahead and tell Harry that Draco is gay? “Listen, I don’t want to go spilling all the details about Draco to you right now but just know that we are  _ only _ acquaintances.”

“Not even friends?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione shrugged. “Maybe friends. You’d have to ask him about that. Now, would you two mind letting me go to my dorm? I really want to get started on these books.”

Ron laughed. “Of course. Go enjoy your books. Me and Harry were trying to work on homework right now anyway.”

Hermione looked at the pair in surprise. They hardly ever did homework, and even when they did they would always ask for her help. When she voiced these thoughts Ron rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said, “Well, I figured that it must be hard for you to have to put up with our shit all the time. And we should be able to do it on our own to some extent, so I told Harry that we should give you a break. It shouldn’t be your responsibility to do everything for us, you know?”

Hermione blinked. “Wow, Ron, that was surprisingly … considerate of you.”

“Hey! Why is it surprising?” Hermione just scoffed at him as to say,  _ You know why _ , causing Ron to duck his head in embarrassment. “Ok, I guess it makes sense. Anyway though, we’ve got it covered here. You can go enjoy your books.”

“Thank you,” Hermione said, turning and walking towards her dorm. Truthfully, she partly felt like crying. It was the first time Ron had ever gone out of his way for her like that, and it made her realize that she wasn’t the only one trying to put effort into their friendship. She smiled to herself as she sat on her bed. She’d probably hug them later, but for now she had studying to do.

Hermione opened her box and pulled out the first book Draco had given her, brushing her hand across the worn out cover in apprehension. She knew once she started along this, there was no going back. Many people have told her that Dark Magic is a lifestyle, and despite Draco telling her that she was wholly uneducated, Hermione believed that.

Hermione cast a quick spell around her bed to make sure she wasn’t interrupted. The last thing she needed was Lavender or Parvati walking in on her reading a book about Dark Magic.  _ That would be disastrous, _ Hermione thought wryly. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what she was about to do.

_ There is no way Harry would approve of this _ , she thought as she grabbed the cover of the book and pulled it open.


End file.
